Good Judgment

[allbee]

The one thing that I remember being told when I was training was, you start with a bag full of luck, you want to replace that luck with experience.

I strive to learn my airplane and be one with it. In other words I've gone up to altitude and done some weard, crazy stuff with it, but I learned what I can do, when I can do it all air speeds and attitudes and most important, what it can't do. Meaning can I flat turn it, what is that? that's keeping the wings level as much as possible and turn with the rudder. Why do I need to do that? Have a couple canadian geese take off out of some weeds right in front of you and see what you need to do. You bank the wings and you are cartwheelin, you hit the birds and the plane and you are... Have I had this happen, yes.

The big thing is you find the line, then you fly above the line. Have I gone to the line, yes. Did it scare me, yes, beads of sweat coming down, generally when this happens is when something comes up that I didn't count on. Landing and getting hit with a gust of wind, takes split second decision on what to do. Generally I bounce a couple times and then what, I do a go around or steady the plane and land further down the runway. What ever, those are still sweat makers.

I think one of the things that really cause a sweat is when somebody shoots out on the runway when your about to touch down, really hate that, a quick flat turn to the side really helps that out. Now can the RV flat turn, won't know until I try it up HIGH. Until then, no it can't.

Big thing, be one with the airplane and KNOW IT. Don't go by what somebody else can do. Find out what YOU can do and stick to it and don't cross the line.

[Ironflight]

I just love these forums....I put a little musing down in the morning, go away to work for a dozen hours, and come back to a wealth of good ideas!

If you read all of the responses so far and try to come up with common ideas, I think one that re-occurs is simply that we frequently build good judgment by surviving situations in which we have used bad judgment - or just as likely, fell into because we didn't know any better. The trick, of course, is for those of us that have survived our mistakes to try and help the next generation not have to make those SAME mistakes (they'll think of entirely original ones, don't woirry....).

Yes, pushing the envelope helps us to know where the envelope is, and again, that is how we decide if we like it out there, or would rather stay a little inside the lines. Those that really, really like it out beyond are the ones that rarely live to a ripe old age.

I guess one rule I would use to help people from digging airplane shaped holes before they gain enough experience is to always ask "what is my 'out' here?" Before you try something, always have a backup plan. Without a backup plan, everything has to be perfect, including you. And I never count on myself being perect....

Paul

[David-aviator]

Good judgment literally means having common sense.

That element in each of us is most mysterious because we seem to be born with it - if we have it. It's that little light that comes on when something isn't quite right. And it sure is an important part of being a safe pilot.

It is not something learned. Experience does modify it - like man, I won't do that again - or that was one royal screw up and I'm lucky to have survived it. Experience does not create common sense. An experience may cause one to quit flying out of fear whereas common sense would cause one to look at what happened, fix the problem and press on. Some of the smartest people in the world have no common sense, others do. It is not a function of IQ.

Good aviators do bite the dust because of the inherent risk of what we do. Sometimes stuff happens that no amount of judgment or common sense can prevent or fix when it happens. Like a broken crank shaft. But those events are rare indeed. Most NTSB reports are based on poor judgment and/or a lack of common sense from the beginning of what ever led up to the report being made.

I suppose, philosophically, one could question the desire or decision to fly as a matter of good judgment and common sense. I had an uncle who a long time ago thought I was insane to be a military pilot. He was kind enough to offer me a job driving one of his mail delivery trucks. He also smoked huge black cigars about 18 hours a day, so there you have it. Good judgment and common sense may be rather difficult to define in terms applicable to everyone.

[markerthebarker]

A couple of good ones I still follow:

"It's better to arrive late in this world than early in the next"

and

"A SUPERIOR pilot uses his SUPERIOR judgement to avoid situations which require the use of his SUPERIOR skill"

[Dave Cole]

Judgment is not the sum of your knowledge, skills, and experience, and it cannot be added to a checklist.

Good judgment starts with a high level of situational awareness of the flying environment, the aircraft, and your own knowledge and skills relative to the mission ahead. Good judgment relies on that awareness to recognize potential problems and change your plan to ensure a safe outcome.

Judgment is called upon when you are presented with a problem or choice. The important first step is awareness of the problem, and the critical second step is making a timely change in plans to ensures a safe outcome.

The best way to maintain situational awareness is by continually looking ahead and developing "what if " scenarios based on possible problems. While a Plan B is always mandatory, continually developing a new Plan C or D can keep you engaged in the evaluation and decision making process, and improve your recognition and response time when a problem does arise.

[Rick6a]

The moment the seasoned examiner handed me the PPL, he said "Congratulations, you've just been awarded a license to learn." We all know what that means. No longer bound by Flight Instructor's judgment, we are suddenly free to make our own mistakes. Early on, I flirted with marginal weather thinking I could "airport hop" my way to a destination in short 20 mile legs. WRONG. Two days in a row, two different small towns. Day one by wind and rain, day two by lowering ceilings. Both days local police offered me a ride to the town's motel when the deserted airports offered little more than locked doors and an outside phone booth. With wind and rain pounding, it is unsettling enough to sit and wait inside the airplane just to keep warm and dry and an indescribable nightmare if you are foolish enough to be aloft while it occurs.

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by Rick6a

The moment the seasoned examiner handed me the PPL, he said "Congratulations, you've just been awarded a license to learn." We all know what that means. No longer bound by Flight Instructor's judgment, we are suddenly free to make our own mistakes. Early on, I flirted with marginal weather thinking I could "airport hop" my way to a destination in short 20 mile legs. WRONG. Two days in a row, two different small towns. Day one by wind and rain, day two by lowering ceilings. Both days local police offered me a ride to the town's motel when the deserted airports offered little more than locked doors and an outside phone booth. With wind and rain pounding, it is unsettling enough to sit and wait inside the airplane just to keep warm and dry and an indescribable nightmare if you are foolish enough to be aloft while it occurs.

A few years ago, a Bonanza driver departed our local airport, while clouds hovered about halfway down surrounding mountains. He could see blue sky low on the horizon to the south, and was convinced he could follow the freeway; eventually making his way from Utah to Arizona.

The lineman tried to convince him otherwise, but he took off anyway. He followed the freeway south under the cloud deck and in haze just fine for about 20 miles. At that point, the freeway turns east and then south again. Yet, this pilot kept following another highway east into a blind canyon, where the summit of the road was well into clouds and surrounded by steep cliffs. And that's where it all ended on a steep granite wall.

Unfortunately, scenarios like this are played out every year around here. Pilots that just have to get there, but never make it due to our weather and mountains.

L.Adamson

[dacrunk]

"Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else!"
Having amassed about 25,000 hours I've gained LOTS of experience and I'm STILL learning!
The only pilots and/or builders that have never made a mistake are those that have never done anything.......the rest of us have gained experience.
Unfortunately, it seems the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.
My first flight instructor once told me the definition of flight training:
"Learning to fly is a series of events, so sequenced in time , so that none prove to be fatal!" (Don Elkins-1963)
I think good judgement is learned from experience, and that "NO" is a answer just like "Yes", only different.
If I ever have to use my superior skill, it's only because I'm gaining experience.
Fly Safe

[CraigC]

Paul,

With a wife and four kids I felt it a duty to minimize risk in my flying. I have flown from West coast to East coast in a C-172. I have run in to a few situations that led to high pucker factor. In pondering these the next day I chose to do what in the Naval Aviation is called a safety standdown. I took those things I did not like and wrote them down. Then I I tried to track down what led to each event I felt was not safe. I try to avoid those gateways to unsafe conditions I have identified. I don't write it all down any more. But I am aware of the things I am doing that could lead to a "grave mistake". Another great tool are forums like this one. AOPA, CPS, and VAF are all tools to see what current issues are in flying on a everyday basis because there are new pilots, old pilots, and middle pilots and a lot of issues repeat enough for the new guys to read about and learn from. That is something that general aviation has lacked that the military and airline flying have, a way to get the gouge to those that need it. I think the rise in forum use ( along with high gas prices) has been one reason for the lowering of the GA accident rate.

[JohnJacobsen]

My wife keeps me from being stupid (in more than just flying). I told her "if I ever say watch this s**t to just smack me in the head and tell me to stop it.